Drama is What Makes High School Fun
by MeemoMeemo
Summary: AU. In a school with very little rules, it's bound to be a lot of fun, right? But when the Amanto threaten to shake the balance, will the students and teachers alike take their stand?
1. Chapter 1

So, time to expand the Gintama fanfiction community! This story is set in a high school with our favourite Gintama characters! It's not 3Z, but there will be some similar elements. I'm trying to correspond the ages of the characters in accordance to each other, but it might not be the same as the actual manga so sorry for that. It's light-hearted at the moment but due to get quite dark. None the less there will be a bit of everything (and Okita and Kagura are extremely likely to get together XD). This is more or less an introductory chapter. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Gintama

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**Chapter One**

Something was seriously wrong with this academy, Shimura Shinpachi decided as he walked down the corridor. Maybe it was the fact the students didn't seem to care about their studies, maybe it was the way brawls seem to occur every lunchtime and not just between the students, or maybe it was the fact everyone here was just plain crazy.

No matter what, Shinpachi had no idea why his sister had picked such an unruly school.

He sighed to himself and scanned the corridor for the green-haired class captain. The boy wasn't hard to spot, he always seemed to have a menacing aura that surrounded him no matter where he went. Shinpachi spotted him leaning over someone next to the lockers.

"Hijikata-san! Can I borrow your notes from-"

Shinpachi stopped cold and his mouth dropped open. Hijikata stood hovering over his shorter, brown-haired companion with his hand suggestively on the other boy's shirt. He noticed Shinpachi staring blankly at them and backed off hastily.

"Ah, Shimura-kun, this isn't what you think," Hijikata managed to stammer out, his face as red as a tomato.

An evil glint entered Sougo's eyes. He reached up and blew gently in Hijikata's ear. "We can continue later if you wish," he said, grinning devilishly.

"Sougo, you-"

A flying kick came out of no where. Sougo tumbled to the ground as a certain pink-haired individual appeared above him. He glared at the girl angrily. "What the hell, China?" he said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Kagura said with false sweetness. "I just wanted to re-arrange your face."

"Fine," Sougo replied. "Just after I bash your head into a wall do you lose the few brain cells you have."

Hijikata rolled his eyes and pulled Kagura off him. "Get to class or you'll end you destroying the school," he said. "Again."

He ignored the two as they childishly made faces at each other and reached into his locker and pulled out a slim folder. "Gintoki's lesson, eh?" he questioned.

Shinpachi nodded and took it gratefully. "Thanks, I always seem to get sick when the seasons roll around," he explained.

"Ah ha, the seasons are so wonderful aren't they?" A sun-glassed teacher appeared behind them.

"Morning, Sakamoto-sensei," Shinpachi greeted politely.

Sakamoto tilted his sunglasses so he peered over them. "The bell's about to ring," he said in a cheerful tone. "You'd better hurry along or Kintoki will be mad."

"Don't you mean Gintoki?" Shinpachi asked even though he knew it was futile to correct Sakamoto.

"Gintoki's always late anyway," Hijikata muttered under his breath.

The teacher grinned and waved them off. Hijikata grabbed both Sougo and Kagura by their collars and dragged them down the hall with Shinpachi following them quietly behind.

Despite this rather strange academy, it had to be Gintoki's form class which was the strangest of all. Shinpachi swore the teachers had made a list of the students they didn't want and stuffed it all in one classroom. Perhaps it was just his imagination, or maybe Gintoki had lost a bet one drunken night. It was only luck that ensured Kagura and Sougo were juniors or he was sure they would destroy the classroom in seconds, Hijikata or no Hijikata.

Unfortunately the older siblings of the pair were jammed into Gintoki's class, giving a perfect substitute for the noisy two. Mitsuba, Sougo's older sister, was a quiet sickly girl who often was away yet held her presence in the small time she was there. However her presence also had their class captain turn to custard, leaving the classroom in an unhealthy disorder.

Kagura's brother, Kamui, just scared the hell out of him. His perfect smile was just a facade for his menacing glares and often violent tendencies which happened to be encouraged in this chaos of an environment. Shinpachi couldn't help but shiver as he entered the classroom to find Kamui seated at the front, his feet propped up on the desk and that fake smile plastered on his face.

"Just ignore him," Hijikata muttered under his breath.

"I heard that, Hijikata-san," Kamui said in his eerily cheerful voice. Yet even with his happy tone it still came out as a threat.

Hijikata glared at him. "You trying to a pick a fight?" he retorted.

Kamui swung his legs off the desk and stood up to face him. "What if I am?" he quipped. "We haven't fought in a while, shall we see if either has got stronger?"

Hijikata wasted no time and grabbed a metre ruler from the blackboard and swung it ruthlessly at the pink-haired boy. "Bring it, pinky," he snarled.

"Wait a second," Shinpachi tried.

But it was too late. The two boys jumped simultaneously and collided in mid-air. It became a tornado of fists against the wooden ruler that Hijikata used as if it was a sword. There was no doubt both of them were skilled fighters, as it seemed this school possessed many, but the fight was quickly turning sour.

Shinpachi groaned and shook his head. He briefly thought about interrupting them, then banished the thought from his mind. Let Gintoki handle it, he was the teacher after all.

Somehow Kamui landed a swift blow to stomach, sending Hijikata crashing into a rather sleepy looking Gintoki who was unfortunate enough to enter the classroom at that exact moment. The silver-hair teacher pulled the student off him and set off his death glare.

"Now everyone, I thought we said no fighting in the classroom," he said as he chewed on the end of his cigarette.

"Quit smoking and we'll quit fighting," Hijikata muttered.

Gintoki silenced him with another death glare. "I know what you do after school, Hijikata-kun, and you seem to rather fond of these too," he said simply. "And anyway it's not a cigarette, it's a lollipop."

"Liar," somebody coughed from the back of the room.

Gintoki just ignored them and took a seat at his desk. "Take a seat everyone before I set you all up for a detention," he said. "Now we all know the school festival is coming up. All you girls are going to get super excited while the idiot boys pretend to get excited so I guessing everyone's going to be in high spirits, yes? However that does not change the fact school festivals are for idiots and I'm going to have to get magically sick in a couple of weeks."

Mitsuba put up her hand meekly. "Why don't you like school festivals, sensei?"

He shuddered. "Bad experiences," he mumbled. "Bad, bad experiences."

Hijikata stood up. "Even though Gintoki has a phobia of school festivals, it does not change the fact we will have to prepare something for it," he said. "So keep that thought in mind and I'll be taking suggestions tomorrow."

"Why don't we just run a food stall?" Kamui butted in. "It'll be the easiest option to run."

Hijikata sighed. "Don't you want to be creative?" he questioned. "Or does your small brain only revolve around food?"

Kamui glared at him and opened his mouth to retort, but GIntoki stepped in first. "A food stall does sound easy," he said. "All right! We're doing a food stall! I shall leave everything up to you, Hijikata-kun!"

And with that Gintoki bolted out of the room before Hijikata could even open his mouth to protest. The class captain sighed and turned to face the rest of the class. "Fine, you idiots are going to work your butts off to make this work, you hear me?" he threatened. "Or else I'll make your lives a living hell for the rest of the year."

The class nodded obediently except for Kamui who sat at the front with an amused look on his face. "Hey captain," Kamui said casually.

"Yes, idiot number one?"

"You'd better watch your back this festival," he grinned. "I bet an accident's just waiting to happen."

Hijikata returned the grin. "So should you."

At the back of the classroom, Shinpachi sighed inwardly and chose to stare out the window. He'd learnt two things this morning. Firstly, Gintoki loathed school festivals. And secondly, he'd better watch his back too.

Or he was going to get caught in the crossfire.

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Good or bad? Shall I continue or scrap it? Please tell me your thoughts! Feel free to request anything too ;)


	2. Chapter 2

Second chapter is here! Thank you for all your lovely reviews, they really do mean a lot to an author. Yes, there will be some actual plot in this chapter, but I'm planning on doing a slow moving story so don't expect the plot to play a major part for a while. The story will mainly revolve around the lives of the students from Shinpachi's view, but expect that to change as time goes on. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Gintama

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**Chapter Two**

"Tip of the day, kiddies," Gintoki said as he watched two students fight. "Drink strawberry milk. All that calcium will make you invincible."

Shinpachi sighed next to him. "Sensei? Shouldn't you be stopping them?" he asked worriedly.

Gintoki puffed on his 'lollipop' and started to make his way off towards the dorms. "Boys will be boys. Remember to be in your rooms by ten," he yelled casually over his shoulder.

Shinpachi gave another sigh and looked down at Kagura, who was energetically cheering them on. "Kagura-chan? Shouldn't you be over at the girl's dorm?" he questioned gently.

Kagura chewed on a piece of gum noisily. "Nah, girl's are boring, they don't fight with their fists," she answered.

"What are you doing on this side of the school, China?"

Sougo and Hijikata appeared before them, each carrying groceries under their arms. Shinpachi spotted a few tubes of paint sticking out of his class captain's bag. It was typical that Hijikata got stuck with the shopping for the school festival. The students roomed in the dorms, but were given free range to roam the city until bed.

"Couldn't sleep without you," Kagura replied sarcastically.

"I bought you a cake," he said chucking a small box at her.

Kagura's face brightened automatically and gouged down the sweet cake inside. She got halfway through the cake and glared up at Sougo. "You bastard, you put tobasco sauce in it!" she screamed.

"Don't take gifts from your enemy," Sougo chuckled, blocking her oncoming fist. "You've wasted a perfectly good cake and I was going to test it on GIntoki anyway. But you being here, I couldn't help myself."

"I'll kill you, just you wait," Kagura huffed.

Hijikata turned away. "I'll go on ahead. Don't be too late, Sougo," he said firmly.

The sadist smirked. "This will only take a moment."

Shinpachi looked at the pair and cringed. "Ah, Hijikata-san, I think they're serious about killing each other," he frowned.

"Just let them," he replied. "If they truly loathed each other they wouldn't speak to each other, let alone fight. Hating each other still means you care about the other person, even if it's in a different kind of way."

Hijikata stopped suddenly. He spotted Gintoki peeking around the side of the dorm in a rather suspicious manner. "Sensei? What are you doing?" he questioned.

The silver haired teacher motioned for them to quiet down. He crouched down low and gestured for them to follow. The three of them popped their heads around the brick wall only to find their principal talking to two finely dressed men in the alley between the dorms and the stone wall that ran the length of the academy.

"So how about it, Kondo? We will offer a large sum for this dump of a school," one of the men said.

Kondo laughed in a nervous manner. "Sorry, but I can't sell you this school. I built it up with my own hands, you see. Even though the students are unruly and the staff isn't much better, it's a home for them. I can't take away their home."

"We are giving you a choice here," the other man said. "The Amanto won't take it lightly if you refuse. This is what's best for your school after all. You wouldn't want anything to happen to your students, would you?"

"Amanto?" Shinpachi whispered. "What's that?"

Gintoki shook his head quickly. "Just shut up and listen."

"You should speak nicer to your students, sensei," Hijikata scolded from above him.

"A brats should just listen to their elders," Gintoki replied. He noticed the men starting to walk towards them. Hastily he grabbed the two students and hauled back into the safety of the foyer.

They watched the two men eye the pair fighting before exiting the grounds. "So spill, sensei, who were they?" Hijikata said as they disappeared into the shadows.

"Nothing you brats need to know," Gintoki answered, stuffing his hands into his pockets. He ignored them and wandered off towards to the staff quarters.

Hijikata grabbed Shinpachi by the arm and began dragging him up the stairs. "They're hiding something," he muttered.

"I-I think we should leave it to the adults," Shinpachi stammered. "D-didn't you see the guns on those men."

"That's why I'm worried."

He stopped outside a room that read 'Yamazaki' in gold lettering. Without bothering to knock, he barged in to find the boy playing badminton with himself as per usual. "Yamazaki, do you know of an organisation called Amanto?" Hijikata questioned.

Yamazaki put his badminton away and sat down on the bed. "Amanto? They're a property development company, I think," he said. "Why? What have they done?"

"We overhead Kondo-sensei talking to some members of theirs," Shinpachi explained. "They seemed to want to buy the school."

"They threatened him too," Hijikata added bitterly.

Yamazaki paused for a second. "I did hear rumours that they were involved with illegal activities too," he said. "They were being sued for fraud a while ago, but managed to pay their way out, so I hear at least."

"Suspicious," Hijikata muttered.

"But Kondo-san loves this school," Yamazaki argued. "He would protect it to the bitter end."

"That's the problem, isn't it?" said Hijikata. "What if they really do start hurting students?"

"The festival's coming up so students will be wandering freely around school," Shinpachi pointed out. "It would be easy enough to make someone disappear."

Yamazaki shivered unconsciously. "I hope you're wrong about this Amanto thing," he said.

Hijikata peered out the window where the two juniors were still battling it out in the courtyard. Kondo was already out there trying to break them up in vain. Their principal was a kind-hearted person who took in a bunch of unruly students with no future and gave them a home. He was often compared to a gorilla and adults always tried to take advantage of him, but the man always seemed to have a goofy smile on his face.

"I hope so too. I really do."

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Review! There will be some Hiji/Mitsu love in the next chapter! (And if you're lucky maybe some OkiKagu) ;)


	3. Chapter 3

A special Valentines Dat gift to you all! Hope you've had a wonderful day even if you don't have that special someone! I've just realised how hard it is to write about Hijikata and Mitsuba because there wasn't actually that much interaction in the actual Gintama storyline. But who cares? They still make a wonderful couple even if they are the saddest. I wrote this at a really late time of night so expect mistakes (I seem to write Hijikata/Mitsuba stories late at night, I wonder why?). Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Gintama

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**Chapter Three**

"You're in my spot."

When Kagura decided to skip the preparations for the festival, she hadn't counted on the fact other students would be thinking along the same lines as well. Especially when that person happened to be a certain sadist, who was currently perched on the roof of the school, binoculars in hand.

"Not now, China," Sougo replied in his usual monotonous voice. "I'm on an important mission."

Kagura briefly considered kicking him off the roof, but that would attract too much attention and she would be more than likely to be sent back to class. "Who are you spying on?" she questioned, taking a seat beside him.

Sougo continued staring through the binoculars. "My sister and that bastard."

"You mean Mayo Mayo?"

"Yup, the mayonnaise bastard has been pulling the moves on my sister," Sougo snarled. "Oh yes, Hijikata, use the sympathy card because it's totally going to make her fall in love with you."

"Did he get beat up?" Kagura chuckled.

"Unfortunately not by me," he sulked.

She snatched the binoculars off him and peered through them. "He's definitely making the moves on your sister, uh-huh," she pronounced cheerfully.

"I need a bazooka or a bomb to blow his head off," Sougo muttered under his breath.

"Just employ my brother," said Kagura. "He'll do a better job than a bomb will."

He rolled his eyes. "I prefer explosives. They're more personal than a hit-man," he replied.

"If I knock him off will you call me Madam Kagura?"

"Have you lost your mind?"

"Nope it's a trick of the eye, uh-huh."

"You're not making sense anymore."

"Toshiro?"

Hijikata looked up groggily to find Mitsuba staring down at him with her usual worried look plastered on her pretty face. "Ah, it's you," he said simply. He lay against a tree around the back of the dorms where no one seemed to go, especially in school hours. It seemed like a pretty safe place to rest after a fight where no one could bother you. He hadn't counted on Mitsuba of all people to show up before him.

She kneeled down beside his and touched his arm gently where a bruise was beginning to show. "What happened? Who did you fight with?" she questioned.

"Usually I would say your little brother," Hijikata mumbled.

"Honestly, that Sou-chan-"

"It wasn't him."

"Then who?"

Hijikata dabbed his side where it was starting to bleed. "I just got in a fight with some of the guys from the neighbouring school," he muttered. "They were badmouthing Kondo-san."

"And you took a bunch of them on?" Mitsuba said disapprovingly.

"They were asking for it," he replied.

She took a seat next to him and sighed. "Did they end up worse than you?" she asked, giving a small smile.

He chuckled. "Of course, they did."

It wasn't the first time Hijikata hadn't got into fights with students from other schools. It was as common as the fights that occurred within the school. But she would never question why he did it. Perhaps it was his short temper. Yet Mitsuba knew how much Kondo meant to him as the man who took him in and she could understand completely why he would fight for him. Even thought it worried her greatly.

"Have you had lunch?" she asked. "Gintoki-sensei was going to order pizza for us."

Hijikata shook his head. "I can't go back in there with my injuries," he said.

"Gossip spreads fast," she told him. "Everyone will know in a day or so anyway."

"Like when Gintoki had that stalker?"

"Exactly."

He sighed and gave in. "I suppose I am hungry,"

"Sensei even ordered an extra spicy one," she smiled and got to her feet, brushing the dirt neatly off her skirt.

"I thought your doctor said you weren't allowed spicy things," Hijikata frowned. "You shouldn't be eating it if it isn't good for your health."

"Too much mayonnaise isn't good for you either," she replied.

Hijikata scowled. "Trust me, it's not pretty when I'm in mayonnaise withdrawals," he said.

She poked him in the side. "It's not good to be addicted."

"I'm not addicted."

"You are too."

"Are not."

Hijikata stopped suddenly. "How did you know I was behind the dorms, anyway?" he asked abruptly.

Mitsuba gave a sly smile. "You always go round there when you want to think," she said. "It has a good view of the sky, doesn't it?"

"It does," he agreed.

"But you know? You shouldn't spend so much time gazing at the sky," she continued. "Otherwise you'll miss the flowers blooming at your feet."

Hijikata looked up at her, smiling as the breeze ran through her hair. He understood why the prince of sadists was so obedient towards her, she was the kind of person who was so innocent and beautiful, yet wiser than most. Even though she stood with the sky behind her, it only seemed to illuminate her beauty.

He got to his feet and threw his jacket coolly over his shoulder. "Shall we head back before Gintoki comes looking for us?" he said.

She nodded and grinned. "Okay."

The binoculars cracked in Sougo's hands as he watched the pair of them walk away together. "That bastard," he snarled.

"Yup, he's smooth," Kagura laughed beside him.

"Oi, oi, kiddies."

The pair of them turned around to find Gintoki standing behind them with his arms folded and a goofy grin plastered on his face. "Skipping class together? Now that's due to start rumours," Gintoki grinned.

"WE'RE NOT TOGETHER!" they both pronounced angrily at the same time.

Gintoki just grinned. "Whatever you say. Keep denying all you want."

"Sensei, I'm putting you at the top of my hit-list," Sougo replied.

Kagura jumped to her feet. "Hey, can we bunk in you class? I heard you were having pizza," she said excitedly.

"Is food all you think about?" Sougo muttered.

"Yes!" Kagura answered loudly.

Gintoki sighed. "You kids."

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Review! I love reviews! :)


	4. Chapter 4

Just a quick thank you for all the continued support of my stories! It really makes a author feel good to know people are actually enjoying your stories! So a big thank you to all my readers! Enjoy the next chapter!

P.S. I'm off to Europe next month so the next chapter may be awhile coming. Although I may be able to squeeze one out before I leave, depending on how inspired I'm feeling. :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Gintama

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**Chapter 4**

The school transformed in a matter of hours. The usually empty walkway leading to the main building was now lit with tiny lanterns, each hand-decorated by the students, dotting the sky like oversized fairy lights. Brightly decorated stalls littered the courtyard, filling the air with various aromas. At the end of the line of stalls lay a stage, awaiting the return of Otsu-chan, their idol classmate who barely came to school anymore.

Gintoki lay back on his personal beach recliner watching as his students frantically ran back and forth with boxes of food and drinks. "Oi Shinpachi, grab me a drink, will you?" he shouted at the rather annoyed looking teenager.

Shinpachi stopped in his tracks and glared at him. "Sensei," he said in a menacingly voice. "Would you care to help us?"

Their silver-haired teacher paused for a second. "Nope," he said after a moment's thought.

Shinpachi snatched a can from his box and threw it angrily at Gintoki. "Useless," he muttered. "Completely useless."

Gintoki opened the can only to have it fizz all over his shirt. "Now look what you've done," he whined. "You're lucky it didn't get on my JUMP."

"Aren't you ten years too old to be reading JUMP?" Shinpachi sighed.

"How old do you think I am?" Gintoki said, rolling his eyes. "Can you go get me a parfait."

"No," Shinpachi answered simply, before returning to his duties.

Gintoki sighed and spotted Sougo wandering around aimlessly. "Okita-kun," he sang. "Want to get me a parfait?"

"Pay me," the boy replied.

Gintoki briefly considered it. "Never mind then," he sulked.

"Gintoki!" A pink-haired male appeared behind the teacher's recliner. "Sakamoto-sensei was looking for you! Apparently there's a whole truck full of drinks needed to be unloaded."

"Pretend I'm not here," Gintoki said, continuing his reading of JUMP.

"Aren't you too old to read JUMP?" Sougo asked.

Gintoki slammed the JUMP magazine onto the ground. "Am I ancient just because I'm not going through puberty anymore?" he yelled.

"Sakamoto-sensei will get angry," Kamui said in a sing song voice.

"I'm going already," Gintoki mumbled, storming off towards the entrance.

Kamui eyed Sougo up and down. "You're that brat that's always with Kagura," he said.

"I'm not always with her," Sougo replied, making off towards his class' stand.

The elder Yato followed him with a smirk on his face. "You know? I wouldn't get to close to Kagura," he said. "Kagura tends to break things that get close to her."

The prince of sadists just shrugged. "I don't get broken that easily."

Kamui smiled mysteriously. "Is that so?"

"KA-MU-I!"

He spun around to find their class captain glaring at him with his arms folded across his chest. Hijikata's left eye twitched as if he was going to break any second now.

"Ah, if it isn't our class captain," Kamui grinned annoyingly. "How's life?"

"Oh just peachy," Hijikata snarled. "If you weren't in it, it would be."

Kamui glanced sideways for a quick escape and found someone better. "Mitsuba-chan," he said brightly. "I just saw your little brother."

"Sou-chan? Is he behaving himself?" Mitsuba asked politely. "I do hope he isn't causing any trouble."

"Sougo is the essence of trouble," Hijikata muttered under his breath.

But Kamui shook his head. "No trouble," he said. "Although I would advise him to pick his friends more carefully."

"You know not everyone in your family is like you," Hijikata butt in.

Kamui smiled. "Oh really?" He turned and left.

Hijikata felt his hands clench. "Urge to kill is rising very quickly," he said through gritted teeth.

"Hijikata? Do you want to grab a bite to eat before the festival opens to the public?" she asked, smiling.

"O-of course," he stammered, blushing red. "I just have to get something first. Wait here."

He made his way back to his class' stall where his bag lay. Inside lay a smaller pouch tied with a blue velvet ribbon. Clasping his hand around it, he quickly stuffed it into his pocket. Just as he was going to go back to Mitsuba, Shinpachi appeared before him.

"Ah Hijikata-san, could you check this please?" he said, waving a clipboard in the air. Shinpachi stopped and smiled when he saw the pouch poking out of his pocket. "Who's that for?"

"N-nobody." Hijikata avoided his gaze.

Shinpachi wasn't fooled. "It's for Mitsuba-san, isn't it?"

"Maybe."

"It is!" Shinpachi exclaimed.

"Shut it, Shimura," Hijikata growled, stuffing the pouch further into his pockets.

Shinpachi grinned sheepishly. "There's nothing to be ashamed of," he said gently.

Hijikata scowled and gave in. "I going to tell her," he said quietly. "If I don't tell her how I feel soon it's likely that Sougo will knock me off before I ever do."

"I think it's good you're taking up the courage to confess," Shinpachi replied. "Otherwise she might slip away."

"You make it sound so depressing," Hijikata frowned.

Shinpachi patted him on the back. "It'll be fine."

Hijikata just nodded and headed back to Mitsuba. Even though she was still in her uniform, her hair exactly the same way she wore it everyday, he couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was.

Wasn't there a saying that beautiful people die young? Hijikata thought to himself aimlessly. He shook the thought away and smiled. "Mitsuba," he said. "I-I have something I want, no, I need to tell you."

"Hmmm?"

"I'm in lo-"

It was at that moment Mitsuba collapsed.


	5. Chapter 5

I'm off to Europe for a month so this chapter will be the last for awhile! Hope you enjoy and remember to review! :D

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**Chapter 5**

Hijikata was surprised to find Mitsuba wasn't the only person headed towards the sick bay that night. There were at least six other students passed out on the beds with worried friends surrounding them. Sa-chan, the school nurse, sat at her desk tapping away a clipboard, frowning slightly.

"Another one?" she asked. She waved her hand at the last empty bed.

He lay Mitsuba gently down on the bed. "What happened here? Was there a breakout of sleeping gas?" he said, half-jokingly.

Sa-chan stared down at the papers with a rather grave face. "Afraid not," she mumbled quietly.

Hijikata glanced down at Mitsuba who looked as if she was sleeping soundly. "It's nothing serious, is it?" he questioned.

The nurse shook her head. "Nothing serious," she said. "Although I'd better check Okita-san before we make any conclusions. With her condition there could be difficulties."

"Difficulties?" The colour drained from Hijikata's face. "B-but Mitsuba's collapsed thousands of times. She's always been okay, hasn't she?"

Sa-chan paused and chewed at her lip nervously. "There's been a case of light poisoning," she said, lowering her voice dramatically.

His eyes widened. "How could this happen?" he whispered.

She avoided his gaze. "Let's not talk about this," she replied. "I've already told you too much."

Something was up, something the students weren't allowed to hear. Leaking information about the poison, then growing silent meant something worse was going on. It meant she knew exactly who'd done. And only one thing came to mind.

"I'll come back and check on her later." Hijikata excused himself politely then rushed out of the building.

The festival was still at full boom, the guests completely unaware of the full sick bay, enjoying themselves to the fullest. He passed Sougo, who was in an intense shooting match with Kagura, but kept running. Sougo didn't need to know yet. Not till he knew the whole story.

Hijikata found Yamazaki chopping vegetables at the back of his class' store. He grabbed him by his apron and dragged him away without a word of explanation. "Do you think the Amanto would really follow through with their threats?" he demanded, gripping his shoulders.

Yamazaki winced. "W-What?" he stammered.

Hijikata took a deep breath and let go hastily. "Mitsuba collapsed," he said. "But it wasn't just her. Sa-chan reckoned it was due to some light poisoning, I'm guessing not enough to put you in critical condition, just enough to make you feel sick."

"And the Amanto have anything to do with this... because?" Yamazaki frowned.

"They threatened Kondo-san!" Hijikata exclaimed. "You said they were the kind of organisation that could hurt us. Maybe they have. Maybe they're trying to shake Kondo-san up a bit so he'll sell them the school."

Yamazaki just shrugged. "I think you're being paranoid," he said simply. "Who'd want this dump of a school anyway? They probably just want a spot to build a flashy new mall on. They could do that anywhere. Our school was probably just cheap land to them, nothing worth spilling blood over."

But Hijikata wasn't convinced. "You're useless," he muttered, before storming off. He didn't need Yamazaki's help.

He'd just solve this himself.

* * *

"Oi, Shinpachi, what to go on a treasure hunt?"

The boy looked up to find his silver-haired teacher grinning down at him in a very eerie manner. "What are you? Five?" Shinpachi retorted.

"C'mon Shinpachi-kun, I need a partner in crime."

"You mean someone with brains."

"Such harsh words to your teacher. My back's tired from carrying in those drinks. Then I had to hand out the stupid drinks. Entertain me."

Shinpachi sighed and pushed up his glasses. Otsu-chan's performance wasn't till midnight, so he had enough time to play with the man boy. "Sensei, what do have in mind?" he questioned.

"Apparently there's old samurai gold under this school," Gintoki said with a floppy grin.

"How cliché," Shinpachi muttered. "Is there a treasure map with an X on it too?"

"In fact there is," Gintoki announced producing a crumpled piece of paper.

Shinpachi took one look at it and sighed. "Sensei, this is just a school map with an X on it," he said. "In ball point pen none the less."

"So?"

"So that could mean anything. It could be marking an orienteering point or someone's lost homework," the boy groaned. "I can't believe you actually thought this was a treasure map."

Gintoki shrugged and ripped the paper in shreds. "Oh well, but I wasn't kidding about the samurai's gold though," he said. "Someone tried to dig it up a long time ago, before you and me were even at this school."

"It was probably just a student's prank," Shinpachi rolled his eyes.

"Spoil sport," Gintoki grumbled. "I'll go find Kagura."

"Fine go harass Kagura."

"Maybe I pester Katsura, he's been around longer than I have."

"Sensei?"

"Yes?"

"Go away."

Gintoki wrapped an arm around Shinpachi's shoulder. "Let's hang out, Shinpachi-kun," he said with an evil grin plastered across his face.

"I have to go round up the Otsu-chan fan club," Shinpachi replied, trying to shrug away.

"You still into that teeny bopper crap?"

"I can do whatever I want, thank you very much."

Shinpachi sighed. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Kagura skipped along cheerfully, chewing on her candy floss happily. It was the result of her bet with Sougo. If proving she was the best shooter wasn't enough, earning some sugar wasn't bad either.

Sougo pondered along next to her, sour-faced and grumpy at his loss. "We need to play another game," he grumbled. "You specialise in shooting."

"Sour puss," she teased. "Want some candy?"

Sougo felt the urge to strangle her right then and there. "Gimme some candy," he said, snatching the ball of sugary fluff and taking the biggest bite he could manage.

"Ah! Otsu-chan's concert is starting!" Kagura exclaimed suddenly. She grabbed his hand and ran towards the sound of the offending music.

Sure enough, most of the school had gathered by the stage, cheering in sync. Shinpachi and the Otsu-chan fan club were at the front leading the charge. Teachers sat the back, drinking and laughing at the whole ridiculousness of it all. But no matter what, it was lively. It was fun. It was exactly what their school was about.

Kagura smiled and forgot about her candy floss. And as the fireworks exploded above her head, she even forgot to let go of Sougo's hand.

It was the night before the storm. The last night of true peace.


	6. Chapter 6

A new chapter is here! Sorry about the long wait, I've been busy with schoolwork and my muse hasn't been hitting me recently. Anyone been reading the recent chapters of Gintama? It's getting exciting! :D

Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 6**

"Shinpachi-kun."

That voice almost made Shinpachi jump out of his seat. He would know his beloved idols voice anywhere. In a split second his book was slammed shut and his face lit up like an eager puppy dog.

"Otsu-chan! What can I do for you?" he exclaimed.

Otsu-chan pursed her lips together. "Have you seen Hijikata-san recently?" she asked.

Shinpachi shook his head. "Nope," he replied. "Maybe he's sick."

The pop idol leaned forward and lowered her voice. "You know there are rumours circulating around school about him," she said. "Some people are beginning to say he's lost the plot. He's hardly spoken to anyone since the festival and I swear I've only seen him once at school."

"Just because he's skipping school it doesn't mean he's gone crazy," Shinpachi shrugged.

"Haven't you seen the injuries he comes back with?" Otsu-chan whispered. "They say he's got in some sort of gang war."

Shinpachi stood up fiercely. "Hijikata-san is fine, I'm sure those are all just silly rumours," he proclaimed.

Otsu-chan just shrugged. "Just warning you captain, mayonnaise might be dangerous to hang around now days," she said in her usual cheerful tone. "See you later alligator in a stampede."

It was true Hijikata had been a little strange since the festival. It had already been a month since the end of the festival and Shinpachi swore he'd only seen Hijikata once in class. When he saw him around the dorms he always looked distant as if he was in deep thought. Sometimes he'd come back bloodied and bruised. Sometimes he would sneak back in during the dead of night. And sometimes he just looked sad.

It didn't help that Mitsuba was moved to a hospital soon after the incident.

For the first time ever, Shinpachi decided to skip class. Some things were just a little more important than another one of Gintoki's strawberry milk lectures. He shoved all his books into his bag and left despite the curious stares that followed him.

Hurriedly, he ran back to the dorms and grabbed a change of clothes. He'd noticed over the past couple of weeks Hijikata would leave after everyone had cleared out for class, which probably meant he would still be in the building.

Sure enough just as he was throwing on a coat, he spotted Hijikata crossing the courtyard towards the gate. Tucked under his arm was a packet of spicy crackers. Perhaps the rumours were wrong after all. Maybe Hijikata was just spending too much time at the hospital.

Shinpachi shook his head and scrambled after the class president. That wouldn't explain his injuries. And Mitsuba would never let him skip so much school.

Hijikata did end up going to the hospital. But not for long. He came out almost as quickly as he'd gone in. Shinpachi sighed. If he was just spending time at the hospital that would make his life a whole lot easier.

_Please forgive me for I have officially become a stalker,_ Shinpachi though miserably.

He followed him deeper into the city. A couple of times Hijikata glanced around, but it seemed he wasn't watching for anyone in particularly. Just when Shinpachi was beginning to think they weren't going anyway, Hijikata disappeared behind a rather plain door, sandwiched between a sushi shop and a fancy-looking restaurant.

Quickly he followed to find himself staring at a long, winding staircase. "What have I got myself into?" he grumbled.

Fortunately the stairs weren't as big as he'd originally expected. The sight he was reached with wasn't really expected either. It was a bar. Strangely open in the middle of the day, it held little security and a reasonable amount of people. Classy too, it was completely Westernised with sleek couches and important-looking men in clean-cut business suits. No one evened blinked an eye at the casually dressed teenage boy.

He ducked behind a corner and watched as Hijikata engaged in a hushed conversation with the bartender. The bartender was shaking his head and Hijikata just looked frustrated. At some point the boy just gave up whatever he was looking for and stormed out in a huff.

After Hijikata was out of sight, Shinpachi approached the bartender. "Excuse me," he said in the politest tone he could muster. "I'm a friend of that boy's, could I possibly know what he asked you?"

The bartender simply shrugged. "He was looking for one of our regulars, a guy called Daraku or something like that."

"Who's Daraku?" Shinpachi questioned.

"I don't really know, but I heard he's one of the big managers of an organisation called Amanto. Rumour has it he's also been involved in drug dealing."

Amanto. That was the second time he'd heard that name. Yamazaki had said it was a development company. Rich from the sounds of things. The same company that wanted to buy the academy. The guys who'd also threatened Kondo.

"Uh, thanks," Shinpachi said quickly and made his way towards the exit.

Hijikata knew something. A mere threat against Kondo would be enough to make his blood boil, but something else must have caused him to actually seek them out. If the bartender was right and that guy was involved with drugs then the that company would have no qualms about hurting the students.

_Oh shit._

The students who got sick at the festival. There were too many for it to be a mere coincidence. Hijikata wasn't going crazy, he was onto something.

Shinpachi stumbled out of the stairwell and into the bright morning sun. Hijikata had long disappeared. He sighed and headed in the general direction of the school. He got about half-way down the street when he noticed someone following him.

Scared stiff, he broke into a run.

But it was too late. Strong hands clasped over his mouth, muffling his screams. He felt a piece of cloth being smothered across his nose.

And then everything went black.

* * *

If you're wondering, Daraku was the dude who sold drugs to Ham-Ham. Any reviews are good because it assures me I'm not just writing this for nobody.


	7. Chapter 7

Sorry it took awhile, I had to re-write this one a couple of times before I was happy. There may be a couple of mistakes due to my late-night typing so sorry in advance for that. Thank you for your continued support! Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Gintoki's classroom was bustling with students to celebrate Mitsuba's return from hospital. After much begging from Kagura and blackmailing from Sougo, Gintoki had agreed to open up the classroom after school for a special 'welcome back' party.

Kagura popped her head around the doorway. "Have any of you seen Shinpachi?" she asked curiously.

Yamazaki shrugged, busy blowing up a pink balloon. "Haven't seen him since yesterday," he said. "Maybe he went out partying and is passed out in some bar."

Sougo snorted. "I highly doubt that."

"Mitsuba's coming!"

Otsu-chan burst into the classroom, pink-faced with a smile. "And she has Hijikata-kun too," she added.

"Dammit," Kagura swore. "Kamui isn't back with the cake yet."

"How'd you get him to run errands for you?" Sougo snickered, holding a basket of confetti at his side.

She grinned evilly. "Same way you got Gintoki to open the room."

Otsu-chan hushed them and hid behind the desks. Seconds later Mitsuba entered, only to be showered with confetti. "Welcome back!"

She smiled then laughed as Hijikata scowled next to her. "Aren't classrooms supposed to be locked after school?" he questioned. "How'd you- never mind, I have a pretty fair idea." Sougo simply smirked.

"Oh Sou-chan," Mitsuba exclaimed, ruffling her brother's hair. "You didn't have to do all this."

If anyone else had done that to Sougo they would have been dead in seconds, but the sadist only returned his sister's warm smile. "It was my pleasure," he said sweetly.

Kagura mocked a gagging sound. "It should be a crime to have multiple personalities like that," she muttered.

Hijikata sighed. "You don't even know the least of it."

"Huh?" Yamazaki pointed to the window. "Is that an ambulance?" he said, frowning slightly.

It was.

They all rushed to the gates of the school where the sirens were at it's loudest. Several of the teachers and other students were already crowded around in a tight circle. For once in his life, Gintoki actually looked quite concerned. "Kagura? Come here," he said quietly.

Kagura pushed her way through the crowd just in time to see a pink-haired boy being packed onto the ambulance. "Kamui!" she screamed. "Kamui!"

The others caught up behind her. Mitsuba paled significantly and Sougo's eyes widened when they saw what was ahead of them. Gintoki had both arms crossed across his chest. "He was hit by a car coming back into school," he explained sternly. "It was a hit and run."

Mitsuba put an arm around Kagura. "Breathe slowly, Kagura-chan," she said soothingly.

Hijikata's eyes darted around, scanning the area. The cake Kamui was in charge of was not squished into the road along with drops of what he assumed was his blood. But it wasn't the cake that caught his eye, it was a man standing silently over the over side of the road. His hair was long and he wore glasses along with a large black coat.

"Hijikata-san?" Sougo turned around to see the Hijikata sprint after a strange man as he turned to leave.

"You!" Hijikata gasped. "Daraku!"

The man turned around slowly. "You must be the other rat that was snooping around in my business," Daraku said smoothly.

"You! You're the one who poisoned Mitsuba and the others! I knew it! You work for the Amanto!" Hijikata accused fiercely.

"And so what if I did?" Daraku replied. "You have no proof."

"Oh ho, is that so?" The prince of sadists appeared behind him. His face darkened. "I think I just heard that some bastard poisoned my sister."

"You brats can't prove anything," the man said simply.

Sougo punched him straight in the face. "I don't need proof, you just made me angry that's all," he growled.

Daraku grabbed the boy's wrist. "Your sister was only the first of many. I will take down as many as it takes to close your school once and for all," he snarled. "Why, I already have one of your friends in my possession. Oh, and didn't one just get hit by a car?"

"You bastard! You're the one who kidnapped Shinpachi!" Hijikata exclaimed.

The man spun Sougo around and gripped both his wrists in one hand. "Come any closer and I'll snap your little friend's arm into two," he threatened.

"My, my, I was wondering what all the commotion was about," the silver haired teacher said, calmly leaning against the fence next to them. "I suggest you take your hands off my student before he sues you for sexual harassment."

Sougo felt his hands be freed and stumbled forward. "I wouldn't want to dirty my hands anyway," Daraku said.

The boy was about to spin around a kick him, but Gintoki stepped in front and grinned. "Maybe I shouldn't have told you to let him go," he said. "I'm a little short of money. Now I'm a bit angry."

He launched a punch at him, but Daraku blocked, only to be hit in the stomach with a full-blown kick. He coughed and clutched his stomach. "What kind of teacher are you?" he spluttered.

"One who doesn't like you messing with his students," Gintoki answered.

Daraku backed away hastily then ran as fast as could down the street. Gintoki simply watched him go. "Shouldn't we go after him?" Hijikata proclaimed.

Gintoki shook his head. "If he didn't go back, Shinpachi would be in trouble," he replied.

"Isn't Shinpachi in more trouble now?" Sougo asked, scratching his head.

"Let's just hope they use him as bait."

"You're an awful teacher."

"Ha ha. Don't tell Kondo that."

* * *

Well, the updates may be few and far between but I do appreciate everyone whose read this far. I do intend to finish this story because I hate it when authors leave stories unfinished so bear with me please! I will do my best!


	8. Chapter 8

I have risen from the dead to bring you another chapter! It's been a very long time and if you are slowly forgetting the story line, don't worry, I am too! I had to go back and re-read the chapters to remember everything that's happened. Still, I do have some idea of where this is going... I think. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 8**

"... And so due to the recent circumstances, the school will be closed until further notice to ensure the safety of our students."

Gintoki gave a bored yawn. "Well look on the bright side, we all get a free holiday," he added when he saw his student's horrified faces.

"You're not serious are you, sensei?" Yamazaki piped up.

The silver haired teacher popped his lollipop back in his mouth. "I never joke about holidays, Yamazaki-kun," he said. "Now scram."

Hijikata put up his hand. "Does that mean the hostel's closed too?" he questioned.

"You have three days to sort out accommodation," Gintoki answered. "But after that it's closed. Full stop."

The boy swore loudly. Mitsuba tugged at his shirt gently. "Don't worry, I'm sure the school's just taking precautions," she said softly.

Hijikata snatched his arm away. "I'm going to go talk to Kondo," he replied coldly.

He stormed out of the classroom angrily. Mitsuba stood up to go after him, but Yamazaki stopped her. "Just let him go," he said. "He's the kind of person who won't just let his home be destroyed."

Gintoki began packing up, seemingly unconcerned by the drama that just unfolded. "Time to go kiddies," he pronounced. "I'll send you some homework if I ever get round to it."

The class gathered all their things with an uneasy tension in the air. Mitsuba cornered Yamazaki at his desk. "Is there something I should know?" she demanded.

Yamazaki bit his lip. "It would be better if you didn't know," he mumbled, avoiding her gaze. "I think, Hijikata doesn't want you to be involved either."

She sighed. "Why is it I'm always left behind?" she said, frustrated. "Sou-chan does it too. Does Sou-chan know about this thing too?"

"M-maybe," Yamazaki stammered, conveniently forgetting his little tussle with Daraku.

Her eyes narrowed, but she left it. "I suppose I should go sort out our accommodation," she said, her tone changing back to it's usual sweetness. She gave one last sigh and left.

Yamazaki's legs almost gave out on him. Older sisters could be scary sometimes.

* * *

"Gorilla-man! What the hell?" Hijikata yelled as he burst into the principal's office.

Kondo was lounging comfortable in his expensive leather chair, ironically eating a banana. "Toshi! I thought I taught you to have more respect for your elders," he scolded.

Hijikata gave his a rather crass gesture in return. "Why are you giving in? Why aren't you protecting your students?" he demanded, slamming his hands on the desk.

Kondo's expression darken. "What do you think I'm doing? How much do you know about the school's situation?" he questioned.

"Enough to know the Amanto have you dancing to their tune," Hijikata scoffed.

"Then you should realise how dire the situation is. The Amanto's interests don't just include property development, they've been known for dirty dealings, it's just no one has been able to collect enough evidence. If you snoop around in their business, you'll only end up at the bottom of the ocean."

"But we can't just let them take the school away," the boy argued. "It's our home! You should know better than anyone how much this place means to us."

Kondo sighed. "Several of our students were poisoned, one was run over by a car and one is still missing," he said solemnly. "This is only the beginning if we don't give in. I'm not even sure why they're so set on our school anyway."

"Still!"

"No Toshi, leave it," Kondo said sternly. "As your guardian and principal it is my job to keep you safe. You can go stay at the old dojo in the meantime, but I forbid from doing anything stupid."

Hijikata scowled. "I can't believe you're just going to sit by and watch this happen," he said coldly. "I thought you had more guts than that."

And with that, he left, not forgetting to slam the door furiously behind him.

Kondo scratched his head. "Sometimes we need more than just guts."

* * *

Meanwhile Sougo was paying a visit to the hospital. However this time it wasn't to see his sister, in fact it was to see the devil child himself.

"LET ME OUT OF HERE RIGHT NOW!"

A rather stressed looking nurse came scuttling out of the ward, fearing desperately for her life and making a break for it while she still could. Sougo chuckled and opened the door, only to dodge an incoming scalpel.

"A lovely welcome," he commented. "And here I was bringing gifts."

Sougo set the box of cakes down on the table. Kamui was wrapped up in bandages from head to toe, his broken leg swinging in the air and a rather sour look plastered on his usually bright face. "Damn and I thought it was the doctor," he grumbled. "If I stabbed him in the side, do you think he'd let me out?"

Kagura was sitting in the corner, almost hysterical from laughing so hard. "So sadist, what brings you here?" she asked cheerfully.

"You're finding this so amusing," Sougo accused. "Aren't you afraid karma is going to come and bite you in the butt?"

"Nope, karma already came and bit him," she giggled pointing at her brother.

Kamui glared at her then turned his attention back to his visitor. "So what do you want? You can't just be here for a chat," he said.

"What if I were to say I knew who put you in this place?" Sougo said slyly.

"Then I would say spit it out so I can kill them," Kamui replied, a grin returning to his face.

Sougo set a business card down on Kamui's bed. "Well, you're in luck because I'm just that awesome."

Kagura leaned over curiously as Kamui's eyes scanned over the card. "I know that bastard," he exclaimed.

"Oh? Well that makes my job a lot easier," Sougo smiled. "You see he has one of China's friends."

"Shinpachi?" Kagura's eyes widened.

"Yes four-eyes is currently being used as a bargaining chip between Kondo-san and those Amanto," Sougo explained.

Kamui eyed the business card. "To close down the school?"

"Precisely."

"We can't let them do that!" Kagura cried.

Sougo took a map from out of his pocket. "So how about we issue a truce and execute a small rescue mission, China?"

Kagura grinned. "Let's teach them what happens when you mess with a Yato."

* * *

A lot of talking in this chapter. This story's ending up to be quite long. Too long? Or do you like long stories? But I will finish it! (even if it kills me)

Reviews are much appreciated :)


	9. Chapter 9

Congratulations on getting this far into the story! Still a few more chapters to come even though it may seem as if it's coming to an end. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 9**

Kagura had no idea what compelled her to agree to this kind of situation.

She was currently confined to an extra tight space, with very little oxygen, with the greatest sadist in the world. Being teenagers, their bodies were just the right size to crawl through the air vents in the office building. A cliché entrance, but it was better than walking in the front door. Unfortunately just enough room, was not exactly comfortable.

"You're enjoying my pain, sadist, I can tell," she muttered, quietly crawling behind him. If she had more room, she would have kicked him.

"I always enjoy your pain, China. I would laugh, but I'm a bit busy right now," he replied, taking a peek at the crumpled map in his hand.

Kamui had scribbled down a map for them labelled, 'Idiot's Guide to the Amanto Offices.' He'd pin-pointed where he'd expected Shinpachi to be as well as a likely place for them to keep important documents. Documents that may be just enough evidence to incriminate them. How Kamui knew this, they did not want to know.

Sougo paused. "So do all the Yato children know their way around these criminal headquarters?" he questioned cheekily.

"No," she answered defensively. "Although I came here once with my father. Purely for property reasons. Why have we stopped?"

"If you're brother is as smart as he thinks he is, four-eyes should be right underneath us," Sougo said, tapping lightly against the vents. Seconds later the vents opened and light flooded the tunnel.

He climbed over the hole and gestured downwards. "It's all yours."

She frowned. "Where are you going?" she asked suspiciously.

"Four-eyes isn't my problem," he shrugged. "I'm off to do some stealing."

An alarmed look crossed Kagura's face. "You're going alone?"

He smirked. "What? You worried?" he teased.

She blushed furiously. "No freaking way," she said. "Meet you outside?"

"Yeah."

Kagura gave one small nod and slide through the hole, landing lightly in a small office. Just as Kamui predicted, Shinpachi was lying on the floor unconscious. She quickly checked for any serious injuries, but all she could find was a bruise over his eye.

The crudely drawn map told her the window was close to the rooftop of a nearby building. Once there, she could make her way down the stairs and off to safety. Simple and easy.

She opened the window and hauled Shinpachi over her shoulder. Sure enough, there was the rooftop. Apologising to the unconscious boy, she threw his body onto the roof with a thud. Her heart pounding against her chest, she climbed over the ledge and leaped for the roof.

And just like that she was safe.

But there was something wrong. Lights were flicking on all over the place and shouting voices could be heard from the offices. Hastily, she grabbed Shinpachi and dragged him over to the stairwell, putting him just out of view. Surely Sougo could take care of himself, her classmates were hardly saints. All of them knew how to fight. A lot of them had been fending for themselves before Kondo offered them a home. Surely he could keep himself out of harm's way?

Kagura swore and made her way back to the open window. That Sougo was going to owe her big time.

It wasn't hard to follow Sougo's path. She found an open vent only a few rooms down. Only Sougo wasn't there.

The door was flung wide open, but no one seemed to be around. A folder was open on the desk with information about the school pouring from it's pages. Kagura shuffled it hurriedly back into it's folder and tucked it under her arm. She was just about to leave when she noticed Sougo's phone lying on the floor, ringing with a rather annoying jingle.

Curiously she bent down to pick it up only to find a series of missed calls from Hijikata. Well now at least she knew what had set him off.

Crouching down behind the desk she flipped the phone open. "Hello?"

"Kagura? Is that you? Why have you got Sougo's phone?" Hijikata's irritated voice came over the speaker.

"Long story. What do you want?"

"Sheesh, your brother needs to teach you some manners."

"Just get on with it or I'm hanging up."

"Tell Sougo his sister's gone back into hospital."

"Is it serious?"

"The doctor said to contact the family right away."

Kagura's face paled. "I'll see what I can do," she said. Footsteps could be heard from the corridor. Without another word, she hung up and scanned the room for a weapon.

Snatching an umbrella she stood behind the open door and waited.

The footsteps were getting closer, lightly tapping on the carpeted floors. Whoever it was, they weren't in a hurry and they were definitely making their way towards her. Her heart was beating so fast it felt like it was ripped out of her chest. Worst case scenario would be they got Sougo. Would they seriously kill a student? They had after all hit Kamui with a car.

Terror rippled through her as she saw a shadow appear in the doorway. Her grip tightened on the umbrella significantly. A hand gripped the edge of the door and swung it closed.

She screamed and swung the makeshift weapon as hard as she could.

"Shit! Kagura!"

Sougo only just managed to block the umbrella with the wooden blade at his side. He looked at the girl's terrified face and laughed. "Sorry," he apologised with a grin.

She whacked his repeatedly on the head. "You absolute sadist!" she screamed.

He just grinned sheepishly at her. "Sorry."

Kagura let out a sigh of relief. "Can we get out of here now?" she asked, all the fight drained out her.

"Sure," Sougo replied. He offered her his hand like a true gentleman and together they left into the midst of the night.

* * *

"I hate you," Kagura muttered, as they walked with only the dim streetlights to guide them.

Sougo had Shinpachi, still out cold, strapped to his back, yet walked as if it was nothing. "Haven't we already established that?" he sighed.

She was split seconds away from punching him when she noticed a slight hobble in his step. It was only when they passed directly under one of the streetlights, she saw the bright red splotches spread across his school uniform. Now that she thought about it, the way he'd reacted when she whacked him with the umbrella was very unlike him. When was the last time he'd said sorry to anyone other than his sister?

"Sougo, you-"

The sound of the annoying jingle interrupted her. "Ah! That'll be Hijikata!" She hastily scrambled for the phone and flipped it open.

"Are you guys coming?" Again the same irritated voice.

Sougo looked confused. "Hijikata?"

Kagura bit her lip. "It's your sister. She gone into hospital again," she explained. "They think it might be serious."

He swore. "How far away are we?" he questioned.

Kagura glanced up at the street sign. "About a block away."

"Can I leave Shinpachi with you?"

She shook her head. "We should get him checked out while we're at it," she said.

Sougo leaned over and spoke into the phone. "We're on our way."

If they could see Hijikata, they would be sure he was glaring at them.

"You'd better be."

* * *

Reviews make a happy author. Authors write faster when they're happy. Expect the next chapter sooner than usual, most of it was originally part of this chapter, however it was getting too long. So all I have to do is write the next half :D


	10. Chapter 10

The long awaited chapter is finally here! To all my readers, sorry it went on hiatus for such a long time. Hope you are all still reading.

* * *

**Chapter 10**

The walls of the hospital were suffocating. Too white. Too clean. All Sougo wanted to do was kick them in.

"Here."

A cold drink was pressed against his face. That should have annoyed him. Hijikata's pitying face should have made him want to smash it in. But there was no energy left. The fighting spirit had all been drained out of him.

"Go away," he muttered. "Go away."

The drink was pressed harder against his face. "Drink it before I have to force it down your throat," Hijikata grumbled. "You haven't drunk anything, right? Do you want to die before the doctor gets back?"

"Go away."

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Bastard."

Hijikata placed the can on the floor beside him and sat down. "Haven't we been in this situation millions of times? Doesn't it always turn out alright?" he said, more for himself than for the boy next to him.

But the more he said it, the less the convincing it became.

"Hijikata doesn't console people," Sougo mumbled. "What have you done with Hijikata? Did he finally drop dead? Ah, there must be a god after all."

He sighed and wrapped his arm around the other boy's shoulder. "I think someone slipped something into my mayonnaise."

"This is it, isn't it? She is really going to die this time," Sougo said, seemingly unfazed by the offending arm around his shoulders.

"Oi, oi, don't be so depress-"

Hijikata stopped when he realised the boy was crying. "Sougo…"

"Ah." Sougo wiped his eyes and struggled to his feet. "There's something I have to do."

"Hah?" Hijikata stared at him confused.

The boy produced a brown envelope from under his school blazer. "I need to get this to Kondo as soon as possible," he said.

"Is that?"

"All the evidence we need to shut down the Amanto organisation," Sougo replied.

"Wait." Hijikata grabbed his blazer. "I'll take it to Kondo. You stay here with your sister."

Sougo shook his head. "I've been saying goodbye since she was first diagnosed," he said. "You're the one who needs closure, not me. I've said everything that needs to be said, but there's still something you still need to say, isn't there?"

In a less depressing situation Hijikata would have laughed. "Seems like we're both out of character today."

The door to the ward slid open and the doctor appeared. The furrowing lines on his face already told the two boys what they needed to know. "Ah, well, she's stable for now," he said. "I suggest you go say your goodbyes while she's still conscious."

But Sougo simply shrugged. "Tell her I'm sorry. Tell her that her brother is being selfish till the very end."

Hijikata reached out as if to grab him. He wanted to grab him by the neck of his shirt and drag him into his dying sister's room. He wanted to yell at him not to run away. But Sougo was right, the boy had said goodbye way too many times. And there were more important things for him to attend to.

"I'll tell her you'll see her soon," he said, placing his hand soothingly on the other boy's head.

"Touch me again and you won't be having any children," Sougo threatened, but he didn't pull away.

Hijikata watched the boy run off before turning and entering the ward. Mitsuba laid silently, her breathing constant and her eyes shut. Upon hearing his footsteps, her eyes fluttered open and she took the mask off to talk. "Ah, you look so sad," she commented with a small smile. "I like it better when you smile."

"I hardly ever smile," Hijikata remarked, kneeling next to her.

"A rare smile is truly special," she replied. Her eyes darted around the empty room. "Where's Sou-chan?"

"He's coming," he promised. "He'll definitely come."

Mitsuba reached up and touched his cheek gently. "I always worry about that boy. But he has good friends, people at that school that care for him as much as I do. I feel at ease that I can leave him in good hands."

Hijikata could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. "Listen to me, Mitsuba, there's so much I want to tell you, so much I want to show you," he said. "I don't want you to go. You can't go. Not yet."

She smiled again. "Me too," she whispered. "I don't want to go just yet."

He took her hand and pressed it gently against his lips. Tears fell onto her delicate hands. "I love you, Mitsuba."

"Me too, Toushiro. Me too."

* * *

Kagura woke to find the morning sun burning on her cheeks. After various protesting and being thrown out of Shinpachi's ward, she'd ended up falling asleep next to Kamui. It was only after she rubbed her eyes to find her hands blackened that she realised her mistake.

"That bastard," she swore, snatching the pen off the side table.

Satisfied with her creative outlet, Kagura left the ward to see if she could sneak past the angry nurse to see Shinpachi. But by the time she got there another visitor had already arrived.

"GIN-CHAN!"

"Oi, oi, since when was there a field trip to the hospital?" Gintoki yawned, taking a puff from his signature 'lollipop'. "You look like a panda, Kagura. Not enough sleep? A new fashion trend? Did you get mauled by a bear? Ah, you forgot to call me sensei."

"Gin-chan, what are you doing here?" Kagura questioned, ignoring his earlier comment.

"_Sensei_ felt something was off. You see, he woke up this morning to find the world was quiet. Then he realised something was missing," Gintoki said, nodding to himself. "Life just isn't the same without glasses-kun yelling in your ears, so I came to visit the 5% of Shinpachi left."

"Ah! We lost Shinpachi's glasses!" she exclaimed after a moment's realisation.

"See? Now we only have 5% of Shinpachi left with us," he replied.

Kagura glanced down at the lifeless boy before her and her face saddened. "Gin-chan, is Shinpachi going to be okay?" she asked, her voice starting to tremble. "He has woken up since yesterday and the nurse said he was in critical condition. He'll be alright, won't he? Gin-chan?"

Before he had a chance to answer, the door burst open and a furious Sougo appeared in the doorway. "They got away," he stated, breathing in short breathes. "Their offices were empty when the police got there. Those bastards got away with all the crap they pulled."

Hijikata emerged behind him. "Three of our students are in hospital with major injuries because of them and they're just going to walk away free," he scowled.

Gintoki took one last puff of his cigarette and snuffed it out in the table. "You kids have done enough," he said. "Let it go, pursing it further will only get you hurt."

"Gin-chan, they hurt Shinpachi," Kagura said with a pleading look in her eyes. "Are you really going to let them get away with it?"

The silver-haired teacher got up to leave. "Sensei's going to go for a walk."

* * *

A bit of Yorozuya love at the end :) I am planning to finish it finally, do not stress.


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